Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

1961 vintage. Ahoy there! Lower neck fill. Durand employed. Opened (not decanted) with plenty of cork splintering/crumbles despite the Durand and meticulous/slow movements. Cork stayed intact but just barely and about 80% saturated. Extensive (3-4 minutes) cleaning of the bottle lip and inch-deep, upper neck to remove fused cork residue. Tasted 45 mins, 2 hours, 4 hours and 6 hours after opening. Heavier body than expected given the producer. A bit of a slap in the face as it rolled in as medium/medium-heavy body which is hilarious. Nose initially a mysterious, century+ sitting room with plenty of decay, dust and past. Things shifted to soy/teriyaki sauce fairly shortly after with a little 5-10 minute fried chicken nose that vanished. Various (dark/semi-sweet) chocolates and cherry reduction sauce eventually emerged. A paced, harmonious narrative stayed constant throughout. Gorgeous experience. Didn't exactly diminish my impressions of H-B being the best first growth in BDX. It's generally the lightest and least-flashy. 1.23.26. — 7 months ago

Pooneet K

9.4

Absolutely lovely classic left bank. 2002 was a less heralded year, but this has stood up extremely well. Just getting to secondary now, still a ton of fruit and earth and leather on the nose and palate. Excellent acid and a very long finish. 13% which is appreciated and the seamlessness comes through. Really delicious and a perfect Thanksgiving meal pairing. Opened 5 hours before dinner and decanted for 1.5 hours. Perfect spot. — 9 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

From a just opened owc purchased on release. This needed a little air to show mostly black fruits with spice box, dried herbs, earth, leather & tobacco notes. — 3 years ago

Paul Krzych

9.4

My second favorite after Ruinart. Lovely fine bubbles exuding citrus, orange marmalade, and just baked brioche. Delicious for brunch and Sunday football. — 6 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.1

This was showing thinner than I expected. Light read with noticeable bricking on the rim. Bottle and cork were in perfect shape. Expected more. Not a bad bottle just didn’t have the depth of fruit and secondary’s I was expecting. Good not great. — 8 years ago

Randall Brater

8.9

Light with hints of tart and sharp raspberries. Just a little bit of earth. Ok, better with food and cheese than by itself. — 9 years ago

Mark E

9.4

Very bready just like we like it. Delicious — 10 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.2

Outta Magnum. Crowd pleaser, but when you drink this next to the Realm, it's just table wine. — 11 years ago

Rick Baumgarten

9.1

A bit of oxidation, but otherwise, just fine. Fruit still there. 1970, 45 year old wine for our 45th Anniversary. — 11 years ago

Kumar Sivananthan

9.9

Top bottle of wine. Maybe not quite as deep as some of the other years but loved it just the same. I need another. — 12 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.6

This was a gift from a close friend who worked for Silver Oak as a garden manager until they eliminated that part of their business. Beautiful color in the glass. Ruby with a hint of rust on the edge. Aroma is complex with berries and flint. Also just a hint of pine needles. Christmas trees. Flavors are full and fine. This is BIG BOY wine. Delicious. — 7 months ago

Paul Masson

9.0

A little too much Brett in this bottle. Or it’s just a root day — 8 months ago

Danny O'Brien

9.2

Raspberry, roses & tar on the nose, grippy tannins and a slight meatiness on the palate. Fruit is present but ever so slightly lacking for me, I wish it translated from the nose to the palate just a touch more. Overall very nice and enjoyable! — 8 months ago

David Kline

9.5

Rim to rim no waver. Slightest bricking. Nose of earth, chocolate, cedar, violet. Palate showing grainy tannins and bing cherry shrouded in black currant with red currant emergent. Black mushrooms have a showy cameo with a chocolate-tobacco high kick. The wine is slightly green and just slightly aggressive though thoroughly enjoyable in every sense. Give this one a couple more years, even if most 10s are showing. Enormous energy with black cherry riding out the sunset.

#ChsteauCosdEstournel #cosdestournel #SaintEstéphe #leftbank #bordeauxrouge #bordeaux #deuxiemecru — 10 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Dark ruby, bright, doesn’t look it’s age. Awesome funky old Cal Cab nose. Notes of cherry, cranberry sauce, dirt and some balsa wood. Some steminess. Great perfume. Nice in the mouth but missing just a little bit in the mid palate. Really enjoyed this. — 8 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

Leathery and red floral nose. After 1 hour decant, opulent, lightly spiced and earthy-red palate infused with dried mushrooms, iron and throughout with notes of garrigue. Punching way above its weight in a meh vintage...just entering a window that will last 10+ years. — 8 years ago

Rick K

9.2

Ripe cherry nose with subtle earthy notes. Just a hint of the merde. Really interesting, a little funky. — 9 years ago

Lamar Hannah

9.1

Really good juice big and bold. Just how I like it — 11 years ago

Michael Mathews

9.1

At Redstone w/Shelly. Just back from Orlando w/Rettke. #pro — 11 years ago

with Rick, Jeff and 2 others

Tracy Hall

9.4

1994. At its peak or just past. Smooth and beautiful, balanced. Thoroughly enjoyed. wb — 11 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2020 vintage. With @Beth Novak . Decanted and tasted after one hour. Medium body. Nose practically leapt out of the glass with plenty to discuss. Flavors a bit more subdued but definitely present. Just enough back-end, tannic presence to hold court. This should be absolute dynamite in 3-5 years. Initial visit a bit over two years ago (9.5) and was more explosive but will cede that to the last impression getting more air time. Said then that this was my fave since the 1991 vintage and sticking by that. 1.2.26. — 8 months ago

David Dorn

9.5

The kind of wine you never won’t to end… just sensational. What a beautiful expression of Napa and the wine was drinking beautifully with 15 years of age. — 8 months ago

Conrad Green

9.7

Gorgeous. Perfect balance of ripeness, acidity, and clarity. Delicate yet powerful. Just gorgeous. — 9 months ago

with Bex

Amit Srivastava

9.5

Terroir .. just amazing .. smooth and ripe to drink — 5 years ago

with Gunja

William Bentley

9.6

We chose this as our Thanksgiving wine. I thought it would be a little robust for turkey and ham, but it was just perfect. Everyone loved it. Great memory... — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.0

Tasted blind. Brownish red and cloudy. Opaque. Nose of cola, earth, cherry and Heath bar. Ok in the mouth but unfulfilling. Short finish. Tannins completely resolved. Liked it at first but with more air this collapses to notes of just soy sauce and port. Interesting to try. — 8 years ago

Robert Schneider

9.7

Just piling on with the other comments. Absolutely brilliant. — 9 years ago

Charles (Chad) Bucklin

Owner and founder of C. T. Bucklin Wine Advising

9.9

My first #chateaurayas and now I understand the hype. Very Burgundian in style but this is just a unique wine deserving its own category. This wine had profound complexity and was perfectly balanced. It is so young. #chateauneufdupape #southernrhone #rhonevalley #grenache #ctbucklinwine — 10 years ago

Neil Cornish

8.9

Darn. Not showing tonight. Dominated by acid and tannin. Fruit just isn't ripe enough to hold up. Did better with food — 11 years ago

with Jon, Michael and 1 other

Alexis A

9.3

2002. Just as expected. Napa in Bordeaux. Red, not purple. Lovely elegance and length. — 11 years ago